Yemen Has Revolution Fever; Dangerous Only To The Corrupted.

Yemen has been nothing but unique in its revolution, it’s been the dark horse of the Arab spring and continues to surprise. If being the most armed yet the most peaceful; and being the longest ongoing revolution as well as having the biggest march in history wasn’t enough. Yemen has now began a revolution within a revolution – this time against all the corrupted within institutions. Now to some reading this it may seem small and insignificant. Although to many Yemenis and non-Yemenis who have gone or lived in Yemen will know, corruption is the most annoying and widespread issue in Yemen. As Ulftak put it “The last time I was there you couldn’t scratch an itch without paying rashwa (Bribe)”

Never did I think I would see the day where ordinary people are taking matters into their hands peacefully yet adamantly demanding that corruption no longer be a part of their lives. Once the protests started I assume most like me thought it would be isolated incidents, but it spread like wildfire. It now seems every day there are more and more protests against corruption. Protests within the army, media and universities among the top places where people are protesting against the elite corrupted. Yemen’s revolution has not stopped at the exits of the Squares across Yemen, it’s gone further than that – further than we could’ve ever imagined.

Some videos showing the protests:

Workers of the Bureau of Agriculture in Sanaa demand the Manager be sacked:

Government soldiers in Sanaa protesting against General Ali Hassan Al-Shatir. They chanted “No corruption, no Shatir after today”:

Soldiers of the Rescue police protest and prevent the Commander from entering, they demand his dismissal because of his involvement in corruption cases:

Personnel of the Agriculture and Irrigation office protest demanding dismissal of the corrupt officials, General Manager and his Deputy for involvement in corruption cases:

Head of the Civil Status Department is kicked out by the employees as they chant “leave, leave”

Report on the protests regarding electricity:

AJA reportage on the situation in Yemen and the revolution against corruption that is spreading in the country’s main institutions:

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Some thoughts on the matter:

Abubakr: “One thing that is really interesting over last few days is the number of protests being held at uni’s, colleges, govt offices. There’s a sense of not accepting the mini-dictators who were in charge of all these places”

Alguneid: “Almost all of Yemen’s Military Commanders, steal soldier’s perks and rations. If you want to understand why there’s a Parallel Revolutions.”

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Al masdar online also reported that Hundreds of officers and soldiers of the 35 Armoured Brigade in the governorate of Al-Dhale’i demonstrated a few days ago, demanding General Mohammad Abdullah Haidar be sacked. The soldiers accuse him of being involved in corruption cases. Hundreds of officers and members of brigade 312 Mika in Sirwah Directorate in Marib province also protested and called for Brigadier General Ahmad Al-Shamaj to be also sacked for corruption.

It was good to also see that the youth were taking notice as thousands in the city of Ataq in the province of Shabwa came out in a rally demanding to continue in what they called “cleaning up the institutions from corruption”. The demonstrators hailed the protests which affected many governmental institutions demanding to depose the elite in administrations for corruption charges.

Yemen has exceeded all expectations, none had imagined this revolution to ever get this far. I am proud to see people of different walks of life using their initiative for a better country. Whether in the squares – a youth or a an office worker, or even a soldier everyone is cleaning up Yemen. Yemen has revolution fever; dangerous only to the corrupted.